Imported Tears
by Preussan
Summary: Natalia, a captured princess of Belarus, is married to the prince of a powerful country. What adventures spur when she attempts to escape him and his brothers, when he comes to bring her back? Fluff, I donno if it'll be rated anything more yet. BI TurkeyxBelarus. AU. Human names used. (Egypt is OOC. Warned, don't like don't read. Changed to M for smut/lemon? And language. )
1. Marriage

**Imported Tears**

Sadiq stared out the window of the palace, having just returned from an expedition in another country. It was a week's travel there and a week's back on horseback, though it hardly bothered him to be so free. His mask was placed neatly on his face, as it always was, along with his long, white, flowing cloaks and brown leather shoes. He had feasted and bathed, feeling quite at home in his large, white bedroom, the curtains a velvet red, with rugs originating in Turkey on his floor. His bed was far too large for himself, and was made in case he ever decided to take a bride. Why would he want to do that, though? It would be a single chain to keep him from his freedom of conquering lands and kings and foreign women. Okay, maybe not the last part. He never really had any time to look at women, let alone conquer them. He was a busy man, murdering anyone who stood in the way of him and his brothers and his father, all members of the royal family of the strongest empire.

A wife would not interfere with such a luxurious life.

Someone rapped at his door, softly yet firm. He got off his bed, groaning about his aching feet. He threw the large, jewel encrusted doors open, and saw his brother, Heracles, smiling at him just a bit.

"Dammit, what do you want?" He sneered, folding his arms on his chest in annoyance. His brother merely rolled his eyes, and motioned to the man behind him.

"Oh, Gupta, wonderful." He remarked, a smirk crossing his dark caramel skin. His brothers looked younger than he, but he was merely the middle child. Gupta was far older. Gupta smiled a bit, wondering if he should have even bothered to inform his younger brother of the prizes they would be reviewing soon.

"Our prizes are here, Sadiq, and though I know you hardly desire to revel in the riches we steal, I think you could maybe try this time."  
Treasure and riches, ones his brother wanted to watch. It only meant the capture of women from the country they had just murdered, and possibly a pretty one at that. Gupta had many wives; fourteen, actually, and none held any special place in his greedy little heart. Heracles had one, and she was his only desire in the world. Then there was Sadiq: No interest women, for he was too busy letting his father know through success that he was fit for the throne.

Gupta somehow managed to drag Sadiq down the stairs and into the large court of his father, who was sitting on his throne with his only wife, who was dying quickly from some sort of disease with coughing up blood. He had never taken another wife, and Sadiq almost looked up to his father for such a noble deed.  
"I heard we have a princess in our snatched treasures, Sadiq." Gupta whispered to him, smiling a bit devilishly. The Turkish man turned his attention back to the court, full of rich men from his country, ready to bid on whatever girl caught his attention. The ornate doors opened, and in danced possibly thirty dark haired women, between twenty and thirty, their faces veiled, legs covered, chests covered, and midriffs bare. They danced slowly, having been taught it that day in order to show off their bodies to the bidders. As he watched, they all blended together, the greens and reds and golds of the clothing meshing with their dark hair.  
Blue.

She was wearing blue and silver, not red, green, and gold. Her hair was almost silver, not dark and plain and repeated, like all the other women. Her legs were long and slender, poking out from the skirt she wore, the bracelets on her arms jangling as she moved her hands elegantly to the exact movement given out by all teachers to young woman. She was certainly not from his country, nor any he had been to. Her face was covered by the blue veil, her skin pale like the sheets on his bed.

He could lose her in those sheets, her hair and skin and arms and legs and-

Why was he thinking this about her? A mere woman he had only caught a glimpse of? She was going to be bid off to the highest paying man, and she was going to be mistreated and abused and never heard of again.

He wanted to murder the man who would win her now. He felt a fiery lump of hatred bury itself in his stomach, he clenched his fists, he grit his teeth. Why was he so infuriated at the idea of the little girl, maybe nineteen at most, being given off to one of these men? It had never bothered him before. So what if some foreign wench was given off as cattle to the slaughter?

"My sons, the three princes, shall choose those of their liking, first." His father, the king, gave a sweep of his arms to show that all the women could belong to a single one, if he so pleased. Yet even Gupta was not so greedy. Though, he was always the first to speak.

"Father, I have chosen three who have caught my eye in particular." He said, stepping to search through the women who stood in front of the room, their eyes gazing intensely at the floor. He picked one's chin up gently, before sending her to stand away from the others.

Then another one.

Then another.

And another.

He smiled, looking pleased with his pickings, before something caught his eye. It attracted Sadiq's, too, for he grabbed the chin of the silver haired girl, and smiled darkly at her. He opened his mouth to make a comment, his eyes straying from her eyes to her lips, before a loud SMACK echoed.

He stared at her, her blue-violet eyes brimming with hatred at the man who had dared to touch her. She wanted to stab him in the stomach, watch him double over in pain, but the women had taken all her knives upon arrival. She saw it coming; she could feel it before it happened. Gupta had raised his hand in anger, nearly ready to beat her. Sadiq grabbed his wrist, and pulled him from the girl.  
"Gupta, have a little control. She was just ripped from her country and forced into clothing she's never had before and forced to stand this way in front of perverted men. I think you deserved it."

He wanted to kill himself for what he was saying! What had gotten into him, what was he thinking? He looked back at the girl, muttering an apology, before asking if she were alright, and for her name.

"I am fine," She spat, almost angering Sadiq, "I am Princess of Belarus, Natalia Arlovskaya."

Sadiq felt himself melt a bit, the name so oddly fitting for her, her feisty, angry, hateful words and her perfect, sculptured body.

"Father, I shall take her." He said, shocking not only himself but all people in the room. All members knew that even if he appeared, Sadiq never took an interest in any of the women, so why was she so different? Gupta was fuming, wanting the Belorussian beauty all for his own pleasures, not his younger brother's.

"Father," He nearly cried, turning to complain, "I asked for her first, why should Sadiq have the right to claim her? I am the oldest; she belongs to me."  
Gupta felt pleased, knowing he would win her without so much as an objection from his brother.

"Sadiq, you may have her as your wife, but in exchange, you may only have her."

The words shocked them both, neither one paying much attention to the girl they'd been having a bit of a tiff over. His father gave him a knowing smile, before dismissing him and the girl. The guards grabbed her by the arms, and she hardly put up a fight.  
_Holy fuck,_ He thought, _I'm getting married._


	2. Winter Tapestry

**Winter Tapestry**

Natalia was lead into a large, beige bathroom, hot, steaming water waiting for her. She dipped one toe in, pulled it back, and shook her head when asked to enter. She wasn't being difficult on purpose. It was simply her nature back home. All this heat was getting to her, and she wanted a cool bath now. She watched silently as the women poured in freezing cold water, before dipping her toe in, then slipped in her entire body. They scrubbed and washed and anointed her, making her skin smell like roses and her hair like water lilies. They scrubbed her body, combed her hair, and massaged her with oils, which she personally didn't enjoy. She thought her natural musk was much better than this fragranced body lotions and potions. She felt slightly awkward, since most of their eyes were focused on her in a less professional way. Yes, she had silver hair and violet-blue eyes. Yes, she was pale as snow. No, she did not find it odd at all. Had these women been cooped in this palace all their lives? _Of course they have,_ she thought, _they're maids. _

The maids helped her out of the large tub, and dried her off with fluffy, soft towels. Natalia had felt even better ones at home, but she'd prefer to keep her mouth shut and remain hateful for her entire life than speak. They brushed her hair out, letting it dry as they did. They never did this at home: You had it done and put up and decorated while wet or you did nothing but hide in your room all day. Perhaps it is from all the chemicals they use on you here? They let it hang long and down her back putting a gold headband around her forehead, over top a white veil. Then they slid on a single white robe, silk, and tied gold around her waist. They painted gold on her hands and feet, up her arms and legs, since they would be revealed in the ceremony. Her face was covered by the veil, although they tried to fix her with a dark red lipstick. They washed it off. She's too pale. Eventually, the maids were satisfied with her, and had stopped painting and decorating her. She wasn't that happy about this wedding. She wasn't happy about being here. She wasn't happy, period. Most of the women left but one, and she sat down a tray of sweets before turning and looking in the closet for the bangles to decorate Natalia's arms. Very silently, a blade pressed itself to her throat, and she stopped what she was doing, turning around to face the beautiful angel.  
"You will tell me the most unguarded exit of this place, or you will have your throat slit now." She whispered harshly, her eyes cold and loathing. The woman looked like a ghost of herself, and she nodded her head in agreement.

Needless to say, Natalia was beautiful. She looked like an angel carved statue, in flowing white silk. She was escorted out of the room, down many intricate hallways full of statues, paintings, and red wine tapestry, to the hall in which her "husband" stood.

Sadiq heard her before he saw her, which would have probably been a good thing. That way, he could have gotten what he was going to say correct before having to worry about it. The angel in front of him made him forgot everything he was going to say to impress her, and he rather ended up smirking at her flirtatiously.

_Great, just great, Sadiq. _

He grabbed her hand, kissing it gently on each finger, smelling the faded rose scent on her skin, her natural smell overtaking it. It was bittersweet, like honeybees in June, like an oasis in the ocean. Absolutely perfect. Natalia felt disgust throughout her body. Why? Why did this man, or any man, desire to marry her? She was violent and rude and disrespectful, not to mention many of the other women had far better bodies than she did. She had no idea how these ceremonies went on here, no one had told her. Was she supposed to simply watch and copy him? Would she be killed if she somehow managed to disrespect the king and his entire court? Would they excuse her lack of knowledge? She hoped so, for she had no time to even ask before he had pointed her forwards, and they had to begin the walk.

The wedding went well, since she was still alive and people were still downstairs, standing about and chatting. She didn't like being anywhere near all those people, it made her feel trapped and easy to judge. She had asked one of the maids to show her to her room, but Sadiq had grabbed the maid and told her to direct Natalia to their room.

Their room.

His and her's.

She hated the thought of it. She hated the thought of having to share a bed with him, or having to change in the same room, and share the same bathroom first thing in the morning when she wakes up and can't hold it in. She sat at the window, watching the people conversing below her. Her "husband" was surrounded with men, and whenever a woman came to speak to him, he shrugged her off. Natalia sneered. At least he was faithful. Natalia stood up, no longer wearing her wedding dress, but draped in a blue silk robe. She sighed, finding the little trinkets she'd managed to save from her previous clothes. She put the bow in her hair and tied her ribbon around her neck, before crawling into the large, white bed, and pulled the drapes around it closed. She let the tears flow as the lights were blown out, and the doors closed.

Sadiq waved good-bye to the last visitor, his smile turning into a frown of frustration and sleep-deprivation. He'd really just gotten home that day, and he'd already been wed. To a princess. A beautiful one, at that. One his brother had wanted. He sighed, wondering if it would cause more problems among him and his siblings. He stepped to his bedroom, opened the door, and lit the oil lamps. He heard the groan of annoyance, and turned, seeing Natalia in his bed. She sat up, pushing the hair out of her face.

"Did you really have to turn the lights on?" She bit, tightening the sash around her waist before standing and turning off the lamps.

"Yes, I needed it on. I need to see to change, don't I?" He snorted, pulling off his shirt. He mumbled something under his breath about she didn't know what. Though when he turned around, there was a small, petite, pale Natalia with a maddening blush on her face, looking at her lap. He raised his eyebrow in question, before sitting on his side of the bed, and slipping his trousers off. He felt Nataila lay down, her body quite a distance from his. He climbed under the covers, before closing his eyes to sleep. Natalia squeezed her eyes shut, cursing her to sleep. A sudden heat crept up her spine, before the touch of skin had. Her breath caught sharply, her body freezing. An arm slinked around her waist, pulling her from her cozy little island on the edge of the bed, right into the middle. She squirmed, flailed, tried to kick away, but the arm was far stronger than she. Natalia had forgotten to breathe. Suddenly, a sharp intake of breath was heard, and Sadiq sat up and shoved her onto her back.

"Are you okay?" He shouted, grabbing hold of her chin and moving it this want and that before checking under the covers.

Natalia slapped him away before giving a curt nod, then flumping back to her position to sleep. Sadiq wrapped his arms around her waist again, resting his chin on her head.

"I have no idea why marriage was such a bad idea to me…" He yawned, grinning a bit. Natalia rolled her eyes. "It's always been a bad one to me."  
Sadiq turned her over. "Why?"  
"I've never loved someone who felt the same way in return. Marriage was never an option." Natalia was always so cold and blunt with what she said, it was almost annoying.  
"And now you were forced to marry me. So you hate me. Even though with me you'll never be mistreated or abused. Unlike what would have happened had any other man taken you that was there."

Natalia stared at him, something next to a scowl on her face, before digging her head into the mattress.

She just wanted this conversation to be over.

Sadiq sighed, before lifting her chin.

"Sorry. Shouldn't have tried to be a dick like that. I just saw you once… And I had to have ya'. Now I do, and you hate me. I'm gonna be pretty pissed over that, ya' know?" He rubbed the back of his neck, hoping she'd lighten up, even just a little bit. He was overcome with joy. Natalia nodded her head, before turning over and letting him pull her into the curve of his body. He nested his nose into her hair, breathing in the natural scent that always overtook the potions. He could listened to her breathing, drifting off to sleep to the rhythm.

Sadiq opened his chocolate brown eyes, his head still cloudy from sleep. He yawned, before patting the spot next to him. He felt nothing.

"Natalia?" There came no answer.

He jumped up, and pulled the blankets off his bed, his heart beating fast as he nearly broke down. Then he saw her shove her, curled up on the other side of the bed, out of the blankets and robeless.

He blushed, reaching out to touch the alabaster skin, some sort of desire racing through his veins. The moment he wrapped an arm around her, her breath caught, before relaxing again. He grinned, planting a heavy kiss on her jawline, moving swiftly to kiss the entirety of her neck. She let out a sigh and a shiver, and he smiled with pure delight. He wrapped his arms around her entire body, his lips finding their way to her own, locking them together for a moment, before he backed away. Natalia's eyes opened slowly, staring at him for a moment, as if they weren't really seeing him.

_Now_ he really wanted to make love to her.  
It was time for his meetings, and time for Natalia to learn the customs of his people. She had to know those before she could have anything to do with the royal family and the country. She was stuck with the same maid from the day before, who was teaching her happily now that she thought Natalia wasn't going to kill her. Except Natalia almost did.  
"Take me to the city. Teach me about the markets." She said, following the maid around the gardens. The girl turned back to her and smiled, excited that she was so interested in their ways of life and their customs.  
They rode on horseback, the sun beating down on Natalia, her body clinging for dear life to the woman in front of her. They arrived shortly, the maid going from stall to stall and explaining what each merchant sold and why and how much it was worth. Natalia ignored it, unless she could purchase food and water and simple things for travel. When the youg maid turned around, she saw that Natalia was missing.

"What?!" Screamed Sadiq, raising his fist and slamming into the wall in anger. Natalia had run away, after the perfect night and morning he'd had before. He threw the maid out, and ignored the slamming of fists on his doors. His brothers were probably worried about him. He'd been locked up in his room for an hour. Once they finally got the door open, Sadiq was gone: His window was open, and a rope slung down the side, his footsteps covered by the sand blown in the wind.


	3. Sand Storming

**Sand Storming**

Natalia never knew how hot it really was here. Well, until she had spent seven hours on horseback in the desert, away from all civilization. She held a hand over her forehead, blocking the sun from blinding her. It was very annoying, to have to be in such a situation. She needed to find a city, so she can ask them for directions! She wasn't sure if she was actually happy with going home, since she was always stuck inside the palace. No one cared to visit her, and the only person she could stand was her big brother, Ivan. She wanted to marry him, some day.

_Stupid Turk!_ She thought, remembering the fact that she was now bound to him for eternity. Unless, of course, one of them died. And at this rate, it would be her. She groaned, growing irritated with the sun constantly beating down rays and the lack of air. The horse under her was beginning to grow weary as well, having not been fed for hours, along with lack of hydration. Within an hour, the two would probably be stranded, dying from starvation. She sighed, slipping off the horse to lessen the load, hoping it would lengthen their time. She pet his nose, murmuring things in her own language before her eyes locked onto something in the distance: A patch of green in the golden sand dunes that surrounded her.

_What greenery could grow in this desert? _She wondered, scoffing at the idea that a random patch of greens could grow in such a place. That would require plenty of water- Then it hit her: That would mean the ability to gain water for her and her horse! She climbed on top of the creature, lightly dug her heels into his hips, and they took off towards the only bit of hope they had. As they reached, she jumped off the horse, tearing away at the shawl on her head and shoulders and the robe that covered her body. The water splashed as she thudded in, nearly tripping once her feet were buried into the murky bottom. Her toes squished in the mud, her hot skin growing to be as cold as it normally was in Belarusian wintery nights. Her clothes were going to be soaked, and she didn't want to sleep in wet clothing. She slipped off the pale blue salver and jumped in in her undergarments and bra-like top, a small smile creeping over her face as she rose out the water. The horse was lapping the liquid on its tongue in glee, and she pet it, rubbing her fingers in its black mane.

Her next quest was one of gathering wood and twigs from the trees, and anywhere she could, to start a poor fire that blew out within the hour. She then decided to make a make-shift bed with large leaves and branches, climbing into the tree and covering up with the robe. Although she was sure it was dangerous, it was her best chance at surviving the night. She checked to make sure that her knives were in her salver once more before letting herself drift off to sleep. Though she woke up many times in the night, she could say it was better than sleeping next to her "husband." Natalia slipped out of the tree (or fell, is you would like a more accurate description,) and stumbled to her horse, who was drinking from the oasis. "Well, little one, it looks like we shall start our journey tomorrow. We both need one more night of relaxation." The idea of relaxing and having infinite amounts of food at the oasis were tempting, but she knew better. The trees would not bear fruit for forever, and she needed to get further along.

Natalia slipped out of her clothes, and into the water. It was clean and clear, and she desperately needed to bathe after having slept in the same bed as Sadiq. She dunked her head under the water and scrubbed at her body with her nails, digging the sand and dirt away as best she could. She wished she'd brought some soap, but she expected to be on her way home soon. Natalia broke the surface, the top half of her body drying as it was revealed to the patches of sun through the leaves of the trees. She ran her hands through her hair, slicking it back with a sigh of happiness. She turned around, climbing out of the water, and began to dress herself.

"Little one, you should bathe, too." She called, drying her hair out with her robe, which she hung over a tree branch when she was finished so that it would dry. She looked up, having heard no noise.

_Where is my horse?_ She thought, standing and walking past the shield of bushes and trees to where her horse was last. She pushed through the branches and leaves, her head peeking out after her arms and legs. She felt someone grab her wrist, and she startled. A man with a mask on his face, and long black hair had hold of her, and she could only think of Sadiq.

"You filthy Turks… Thinking you can take whatever you want." She spat, trying to tear her arm free from the man. He was not like Sadiq: He did not smirk, he did not laugh, but he grimaced and raised her high, before slapping her across the face.

"Little witch, you will not speak to me like that!" The man dropped her, his minions tying her wrists and legs. They threw her on a horse, saddled in front of one man. She looked around as they trotted through the desert, seeing that they were going further from where she'd come. "Damn men… What are you doing with me?" The one behind her nudged her with his shoulder, making her snap her head back at him violently. "We do love having beautiful women as our servants. Wonder who gets you, little witch."

"My name is Natalia Arlovskaya! Do not call me little witch, it is an insult!" She declared, hissing at the man behind her.

"Kucuk Cadi is a fitting name for her, boss!" Laughed one, whose mask was old and dirty, and cracked by the eye. Natalia frowned, not knowing what the name could possibly mean, but assumption caused her to think it meant something she would not like.

Natalia was standing behind the head chair at a dining table, dressed in deep red dancer's clothes. Gold henna was painted down her arms and legs, and decorated her hands, feet, and chest. She had no veil to cover her face, which was cold and solemn.  
"Miss Kucuk," began the leader, who had never told her his name, "What do you think of the creation of war?" He peered at her over his shoulder, wondering about her position on the matter. When he asked what someone like her was doing in their country, she explained she'd been a prisoner of war. It suddenly became a popular topic.  
"I think many of the men who are members of such violent acts should not have been born. Like plenty of men in this room."

All though it was a direct insult, and that she had said it with poison in her voice, the men laughed, cooing over her cruel personality.  
"And to think, Kucuk Cadi is married!" The laughter rang even louder at their teasing, before Natalia dropped the tray she'd been holding. The leader snapped his head around to look her in the eye. "What happened?" He roared, nearly grabbing her wrist. She'd already stepped back, too far behind him for the man to reach.  
"Clean up the mess, bastard." She sneered, turning to leave the room. The man jumped out of the seat, and wrestled her to the ground in anger. Pinning her arms, he snarled at the woman beneath him, whose face was contorted into a disgusted frown as she felt his weight shift. She gave him a glare, a growl, deep for her and just as threatening escaped from somewhere deep within her chest, causing a cocky smile to cover the man's features. He licked his lips, a hand sliding its way down her bare, slender thigh, before it crept to the inside. "You know, Kucuk, it is said that the best way to tell the difference between a beautiful woman and a witch is to see if even she can seduce a man of my caliber." The men around him laughed, giving cat-calls and encouraging hollers. As he spoke, Natalia pressed the sharpened end of a chopping blade against the man's stomach, pressing slightly to cut the clothing.

"I am no witch, you disgusting commoner filth," She said, pressing the knife further, "And you shall perish in this moment!" She shoved the blade into his skin, slicing open his stomach, kicking him off of her so that the acid would not burn her skin. As he lay on the ground, his body twisting and jerking in pain, his minions ran and screamed and had no idea as to what they should do for the man. She jumped up, wiping the blade off, before gathering more and slipping them into the hem of her skirt. She ran out the door, glad to be bare foot on the wooden surface of the flooring. She ran past other maids and other members of the clan, shooting dirty looks at anyone who dare stare at her too long. She was quick on her feet, and deadly with a blade, and no man could quite reach her. As she slid down the halls, she burst through a door, the long, wooden stairs flying under her feet as she held to the railing for dear life. She could hear shouting coming from above her, but focused on what was below. As long as no person was coming up the stairs, she would have no use for her knives. Just as she was reaching the bottom, the door swung open, a man almost as large as the one she'd sliced stepping through. He gave her one look: One of understanding, and brought his arms, ready to snatch her by her throat.

"Little wench, you'll pay for whatever it is you have done!" He shouted, his curls bouncing in front of him. He was pushed back suddenly by the force of a kick to his jaw, Natalia stumbling out and over the body. She stood quickly. She saw shadows of more coming to find her. Without a second thought, she looked around. A window, at the end of the hallway! She dashed madly for her only escape, diving out of the second story window, onto the wooden horse stall below. It buckled under the force of her fall, crashing, the girl landing in a haystack. She sat up in urgency, and looked for her horse.

"Little one!" She called, before seeing his head look up and find her, and then trotted to his master. She climbed on his back, and kicked his hips roughly, the horse making a mad dash out into the approaching sand storm.

Natalia recently realized the poor luck she'd been cursed with. If she did not find shelter soon, she and her horse would be sent to a sandy grave. She searched repeatedly for some shelter, but found none. She had thought she'd been heading back to the oasis, but obviously, she was lost. She got off her horse and walked, having slipped off her skirt to hold it over her head. At this point, it looked as if everyone was prepared for the sand storm, except for Natalia. She stared at the sky, the sun setting silently overhead. She'd been walking for hours, and although she escaped nearly a full day before, she almost wished she'd waited a little longer. That way she could have eaten and rested, regained her strength, and could have waited out this storm. As they walked, the sky grew dimmer and the little breezes of wind turned into billowing gusts, whipping her hair around in a furious rage. She looked around desperately, but as the winds picked up, she saw no other choice. She hugged the neck of the bulky horse, and whispered something in her language, before moving her arms so swiftly, it looked as if she'd merely jerked them. The horse fell limp to the sand, it's head snapped in to wrong direction, and Natalia sat on her haunches, slicing open the body, tearing out the insides, and crawling her way in as best as she could. Inside, she held her breath from the smell of the creature, biting her lip. She felt disgusted with her own savagery, her own selfish desire to live. As the storm passed, she could feel the weight of sand building on top of the little one, and she felt slightly crushed by the weight. The longer it went on, the more tired she got, and the more tired she got, the more worried she became. She curled up in a ball, having slipped her skirt back onto her body, and said a silent prayer. As she drifted off into unconsciousness, she had only wished she could have not died alone.

Sadiq hurried through the desert, searching for any sign of Natalia, but to no avail. He knew of all the oases near his home, and assumed she'd probably perish before coming close to any of them.

_God dammit! Didn't she learn to fucking think in her country?_ He cursed in his head. As he rode on the horse, its hooves stomping constant reminders in his mind of the oncoming threat, his eyes darted to and fro from under the white mask and veil over his face. Something was leaping and stabbing at his chest, taking his breath form him in a fear he'd never dreamt of feeling. The idea of finding her body, anyone's body, buried in sand, or perhaps mutilated, or maybe alive but mistreated, abused, broken, bleeding, frightened him. She was small, she was frail, and this sun would burn her skin if she spent too much time in exposure to it. He travelled for hours, to village and camp and oasis, to nothingness that is the sand dunes, even through the sand storm. He had found shelter in a small cavern, and had a fire blazing for heat and food he had packed. He uncovered the dried beef and drenched it in water, chewing on it as he laid back, his arms behind his head. At times like this, sleep was certainly something he needed: Not really something he could get. He could hear the angry wind ripping at his hideaway, he could hear the venomous words of his bride, and he could hear a horse whinnying not too far away.

Who would be out in a storm like this?

He pressed his veil and mask onto his face and looked out of the cave, seeing horses and a wagon and colorful people disappearing from him.

"Gypsies? I haven't seen those in a while…" He murmured, recalling his last visit further north-west. He continued to stare, impressed with the amount of silver they had in their clothing, since gypsies wore greens, reds, yellows, blues, purples, and pinks and white, not really gold and silver. He stared, the thought of silver on a gypsy dwelling in his thoughts hauntingly, as if it were something more than what he thought. The material was long, thin, almost like it was still threads, not even clothing. Almost like silver angel's hair-

He jumped out of the cave, slipped onto his horse, and rode through the ferocious winds that almost knocked them over. His eyes were trained in the area the wagon was going, knowing there was only one town anywhere near where he was at. The storm was horrible, his horse finding it difficult to move quickly in the winds. He was breathing in sand and dust, and he got it in his eyes and mouth, and had not eaten nor drank in hours. He felt sick to his stomach, probably having swallowed and digested enough to make him sick. He felt his forehead, but the heat of his hands made it extremely hot. He was sure that he was ill now, form being worried and out in such terrible conditions. As he neared the village, the storm died down, and he felt a ting of relief. Entering it, many people stared at him wide-eyed from inside their homes, until he got off his horse. He collapsed soon after.


	4. Black Magic

**I'M SO SPRRY IT TOOK SO LONG. I had terrible writer's block! Here it is! D: **

**Black Magic**

Natalia's eyes fluttered open, her mind groggy and useless at the moment. She looked around her surroundings, the images slowly fading into one another as she turned her head. She could see colors of all shades surrounding her, and she furrowed her brow. Tan skin and dark hair, along with olive green and chocolate brown eyes peered down into her icy blue ones, and she stared back.

"Merhaba. Glad to see you're awake." One woman said, taking a rag and dabbing Natalia's forehead free of sweat. Natalia sat up, her hand pushing the hair back from her face. She noted the woman's odd apparel: a white loose blouse tucked into a blue skirt with a yellow sash around her waist. She was barefoot and had bracelets on her ankles and wrists. "Spasibo for taking care of me…" She coughed, flinging her legs over the edge of the small cot she was laying in. She saw that where she was was a small tent, with colorful clothes decorating the trunks and instruments and decorations on the walls. She scratched her head. _What are these people supposed to be? Are they like ballet in this land?_ The woman, who had been eying her with curiosity, smiled a bit before patting her hand. "We are gypsies. We roam the land and perform with dancing and tricks and fortune telling. Many call us evil and persecute us: Here, though, we are accepted." She smiled as she explained, seeing Natalia's lulling head bob up and down in understanding. The woman patted Natalia on the head. "You almost died out there. We brought you in and dressed and cleaned you. It's only been a few hours." Natalia's eyes widened, her hands grabbing at her chest before her eyes shot down to her body. She was no longer wearing the red clothing, but a pale rose pink blouse, hanging low in a deep round cut, tucked into and cinched by a creamy colored corset with light blue lace. Her skirt was burgundy with golden design on it, the sides slit for her legs, with a black shawl with golden décor hanging. Her arms and feet had bangles, and she saw her face in the mirror, with rosy jewels pasted to her forehead.

"What is all this?" She asked, plucking the dress up in her hands and swirling it about. The woman laughed. "We'll take you wherever you need to go, but you must perform with us. That's a fair trade, isn't it?" Natalia looked at her, searching her face for any sort of lie, before turning her attention to the almost dreamy clothing she was wearing. "We will travel and wear this?" She quirked a silver eyebrow, her regal tone making the woman wary of her question. "Yes… If you can dance or sing or tell fortune, tell me now."  
"I can do all three. But I learn dancing easiest."

"Then you shall dance."

Sadiq opened his eyes, two hazel eyes brimming with worry staring into his face. He jumped, scrambling back into the cot in which he was sleeping. The hazel eyes belonged to a little boy, possibly eleven, who wore an old white tunic. Sadiq looked at the boy in question, the dirty face staring at him. The boy suddenly dashed out the door, yelling "Papa, papa, the old man is up!" Sadiq stared after the boy, before looking up at a tall, elderly man with grey streaking his raven hair. Sadiq eyes him carefully and cuiriously, before the man laughed a hearty laugh, and patted his back.

"I'm honored to have a prince in my home! Sorry, but there's nothing special here, so you'll have to settle for living like a peasant!" And, as if Sadiq hadn't lived through any of it, he made a face. The father grinned at him happily, reminding Sadiq of that old man back home. He gave a smile to the father, and chuckled. "I've been through worse, so don't worry 'bout me. But hey, what's going on here?" He asked, looking around, seeing nothing spectacularly intriguing or amazingly dull, yet it felt humble and cozy. He gave a small grin, before it disappeared, memories of a long forgotten past flashing through his head. The older man watched Sadiq, realization in his eyes. His son sat in the door way, clutching with small, blistered hands to the shabby wooden frame as he watched with saucer-wide eyes. His father offered a warm, welcoming smile, and held out his arm in approval to his son's silent question. The boy walked in, sitting silently on the bed by Sadiq's feet, keeping his head low. Sadiq understood faintly of the child's situation: A prince in your home? He most likely had no idea of how he should act. Sadiq was the same way when he was younger. He patted the boy's head, ruffling his hair and grinning. The boy offered a meek smile in return.

"So, prince, would you like to come to the festival today? Gypsies are in town, so there's gonna be some fun."

Natalia slipped into the pale ruby dress, with slits up the sides and bangles on her limbs. She pulled her hair into a golden crown, it falling down her back in waves. She looked exotic, and she was revealing more skin than normal in her own country. She saw that outside, many tents were set up, and as dawn began to fall upon the village, the people began to stir. She heard the cry of babies and mutter of weary mothers. She peaked out from the flap of the tent, seeing the gypsies polishing the last of their crystal balls, and setting up the last of the tarot cards. There was a stage erected in the center of the lines, everything forming a large circle, with inner circles, and the stage in the back center of the outer ring. Natalia stared, watching the others in her temporary home prepare. They all smiled and waved at her, a few of the males winking and giving her suggestive smiles and motions. She rolled her eyes at them, pulling back inside the tent. As she turned, the woman from before grabbed her arm, pulling her to a seat. "Selvi… you don't have to be so rough." She grumbled, letting the woman decorate her eyes with a red powder and paint her lips crimson. "Pretty Natalia… Yes, I do, or else you would never come back and sit!" she laughed, giving what little cleavage Natalia had to offer her a push with her hands. Natalia had learned very soon that Selvi was very open and comfortable with other's bodies and her own, as within the first hour she crawled up next to Natalia and observed her naked flesh, commenting on "How cute that small freckle on your rib is!" She smiled, pleased with herself, before shaking her head. Natalia looked at her as she cursed herself under her breath about forgetting something. She threw a purple cloth item to Natalia, told her to tie it around her waist, and then dragged the foreign girl out to the stage.

"Natalia, you're going to enter with magic, okay?" she said, showing a small trap door under her foot. The curtains were closed, and she said that "he'll make pink smoke and you'll have to get out as fast as possible and jump out of the smoke in a cartwheel. Then, you do the dance I showed you. The spear is on stage already." Natalia nodded her head deftly to the woman, who dragged her along. Hungry eyes feasted upon the foreign beauty, their malicious and needy souls filling with lustful sin as they watched- Which was the case even in her own land, of something most men suffered- precious hips of snow-white skin clang-clang as she walked. Climbing onto the stage, she entered through the curtains and looked at the back stage crew. Strong, tanned men worked tirelessly, noting her with a friendly hello and wave. It offered her comfort when she saw that they looked at her as a normal woman, not with crazed lust within their blood. She looked around the small area, following lazily behind Selvi as she spoke to the men, gave directions to them, and examined their work.

"Natalia, it's almost time. Go on, get in there!" She cooed, pushing her. Natalia turned her daydreaming head to Selvi, before awkwardly crawling under the stage. She looked around underneath the place, and felt the latch to the top of the stage and rested her hand on it, waiting until she heard the muffled voice of Aslan, the thin, lanky introducer of the gypsies. His voiced roared throughout the stage's build, making her nearly cover her ears in irritation.

"Welcome, guests!" He began, "Today we have a treat: A pretty mistress of winter from the cold child-lands of Kiev Rus: Belarus! She has come to us, a sick sorceress of beauty, and in pure gratitude, she has graced us this day with a dance. Dare not to avert your eyes, or you shall lose the opportunity to fall in love with the vixen's snowy skin, her silver-thread hair, and her enchanting eyes!" His rant, which made Natalia wonder if he was praising or degrading her, seemed to have quieted the crowd, almost as if they were entranced by his voice. She bit her lip, hoping they would lose interest and leave. All though she was cold and crude and elegant on the outside, she knew the mass of jittery nerves inside her stomach were smashing against her skin. As Aslan's voice picked up once more, she nearly threw open the hatch to the door. Suddenly, a loud sound erupted, and she threw open the door and crawled out, looking around to see a black smoke in front of her. She looked around, finding the split in the wooden planks that made the stage, and she set her feet upon it, twisting her hips, so that they made her body curved. Her slender legs were far apart, the back foot on the pad of her foot, and the front twisted in a way that made her white thighs and hips visible to the crowd. She hung a hand over her head in an arch, and the other out straight, her thumb curled. A sudden gust of wind blew the smoke away, revealing her to the crowd, which cheered as the music began. Using the movement of knees, her hips bobbed up and down, slowly at first, and then quickening with the beat. She spun on one foot, turning her back to the crowd, skipping to the spear, which she grabbed and hung over her shoulders, shimmying around the stage until she grabbed the spear, stuck it into the stage, and flipped herself backwards, spinning once again, grabbing the spear and dancing the back of the stage, before running forward. She shoved the item into the stage, and swung her legs, spinning about it and then wrapping her legs about the thing, hanging off it with a smirk and a hand in the air, before blowing a kiss at the crowd as she was instructed. She stood, the crowd applauding, her frowning in annoyance at the sweat beading her brow. As she walked off, and entered her personal tent, something caught her eye in the crowd. _Was that Sadiq?_ She asked herself, dumbfounded, before shaking her head and walking inside.

Sadiq had heard murmurs from the townspeople about the amazing dance that they had witnessed. He wished he'd seen it: gypsies had amazing talent in dancing. He patted the young boy's head, which looked at him in surprise before giving a childish grin. Sadiq laughed a bit, before looking around. He'd never been to a peasant celebration, even as a peasant. He was busy, stealing food from the baker and then finding a place to sleep for him and his best friend. He gave a heavy sigh: This was something he hardly thought about any more, as he was sure the friend was dead. Sadiq looked around, impressed with the throng of people begging to gain entrance to the dancer's tent. He couldn't help but laugh; some people would never learn that it took a long time for these gypsies to change and redo their make-up. As he walked, he found his mind wandering back to the princess he'd lost. Why had she left him? She was safe with him, and she could have been spoiled. Yet the scent, her scent, wafted into his senses, overtaking his questions with the desire to lie next to her, and to have her glare at him in childish hatred. To most, it would seem moronic of him to wish for such a thing, but never had he felt that a woman deserved his attention as much as this one girl. If perfection had a name, it would have been Natalia Arlovskaya. He opened his eyes, the golden-brown orbs looking about in leisurely carelessness. He felt a tug on his drapes, and looked down to the young boy. "Prince, they're letting people in to congratulate and speak with the dancer! Please, may we also go?" Sadiq laughed, putting an arm on the boy's shoulders and leading him to the growing line. "Sure thing, lad! Hey-"He gave a quizzical look "What's your name?" The boy flashed a smile. "Destann." Sadiq nodded his head, before hearing the boy begin idle chatter about an old camel- named Fluffy, for no matter how often they rid him of his coat, he would grow it back with even more fluff than before- until they stepped into the tent. Sadiq's arm fell from the boy's shoulders, his eyes stuck on the silver hair that faced him, pooling down a slender pale back. The girl turned on her seat, her eyes shut as she brushed her hair. "Privet, I am Natalia. Pleasure to meet you." And once she opened her eyes- the gems that haunted his everlasting soul to no end in these few days in which she had left him- her breath caught. As they stared at one another, young Destann looked to the girl, before walking forward and clasping her hand is his own. With a smile, he said a Turkish thanks. She turned her attention to the boy, who talked about how he had gone ahead of Sadiq and his father to watch her, and how well she danced. Once he had finished, he turned to Sadiq and pulled him over.

"This is the prince! His name is-"She stood quickly, a slight blush on her cheeks and her hands curled into fists. "Sadiq, where have you been?" She hissed, earning a sudden shocked expression from her husband. "Where have I been?" He sneered, before grabbing her wrists. She snapped her teeth at him, trying to pull away. "Trying to find you! I was worried to death, dammit!" He pulled her into a hug, wrapping his fingers into her soft, silky locks, his face buried into the crevice of her neck. She felt horrible, inside her heart she felt indescribably happy, and she had no idea why. She wrapped her arms around his towering body, lightly, gently, noting how shaken and how easily it seemed he could be broken. "Sorry." She whispered to no one, yet to all who could hear.

"I was scared you wouldn't come find me."


	5. Confessions

Natalia was used to being stared at like a sex object. She was used to constant compliments on how beautiful she was. She was even used to men begging her to marry them. One thing she was not used to was a man willing to treat her as the princess she was, but to actually cry for her. She was not used to having someone hold her, and be afraid of letting go. She was not used to someone telling her they only wanted her to be by their side. She was not used to feeling loved. She couldn't complain about it, either. She didn't really know why she was so keen on it, but every time Sadiq said "I love you," she would ask him to repeat it. Her own mother hadn't said those words to her in years. He said it to her every night, every morning, and randomly. He did not grope her, nor did he kiss her or ask for sexual favors and actions. She was just too uncomfortable with the idea of having sex. Something she appreciated was how he was okay with that.

The palace life had grown rather simple once they returned. She was given a higher status than other women, lower than her original, but still useful. She could dress and feed herself, she was allowed to go to the market, and she was even learning their language slowly. Today was going to be an ordinary day: She and Sadiq would go hunting together and then come to the palace, only to spend the day conversing with Sadiq's father about other places to conquer. Her input was always considered.

"You've been to this land?" Asked his father, who looked at her in surprise. He could never doubt that she had, for her knowledge of these places was too great.

"Yes, I have. I had a suitor from there who brought to my palace many deer and elk as gifts. He dressed very out of fashion for my home, with trousers up to his naval and a red coat with a frilly neck-thing. And his accent was too terrible to place; I hardly understood any of what he was saying. The only language we had in common was English." She looked at them both as she sew, her needle work full of grandeur and elegance. "Did you know it's normal for their people to have red hair?" This earned her laughter of the two men, for she always managed to tie in their attraction with her odd hair color. She still did not smile. She was afraid of letting herself be happy in this place, in case she ever went home. But as the days dragged on, it became less a question of if or when, but why she would be leaving. She simply couldn't think of one.

One thing that had not changed in Natalia's life was the amount of tension between her and Sadiq's older brother Gupta. Gupta was not someone who would smile near her nor laugh near her. She despised him. This sort of awkward hatred began on her and Sadiq's return. Gupta had asked if, now that she'd been to bed with Sadiq, she would like to try his instead.

To put it bluntly, it pissed her off.

Today was a very special day. It was going to be a party for the latest victory over a foreign land. Natalia was actually receiving an award for having been very helpful when it came to strategy. She had been the one to explain to the men, mostly Sadiq, though, on their behavior and the way they defended their country. It was too easy for her to give them the help they needed and very happily accepted. She was there in her favored sort of dress, long and made of silk, wrapping up and over her right shoulder and tied in the back. It was tied around the waist, with beautiful oya decorating the hems. Inside were many of the men who could have bid for her hand in marriage. It was probably going to be fun to see their expressions when they see her and Sadiq, walking in together hand in hand and conversing to one another as if they'd been married on good terms. The idea of annoying those men brought a smug smirk to her lips, which intoxicated the maids around her. They fawned over how, even if it were from a nasty thought, she ought to smile more. She rolled her eyes, waving them off as she looked around the room specifically for a certain king. Sadiq's father was of all certainty the person she most often kept company from when Sadiq himself was not around. The old man was someone whom she could give her upmost respect to, and receive her just treatment in return. He was kind and easy going, along with cunning and thoughtful. She found it easy to spend hours talking with him in the throne room when Gupta was absent. Once her violet orbs fell upon his figure, she made her way through the crowd of men and few women, before giving him a quick bow.

"Merhaba, father." She said, giving him her best attempt at an actual smile. He, being the intelligent man he is, saw through it completely. He patted her on the head in a fatherly way, and then swung his arm out.

"Princess Natalia, merhaba! We do not have much time for conversing. You see, I have this impatient son, whom I think you'd really like, over preparing the table for our meal. He says it simply can't start until you are seated by his side at the head of the table."

She gave a bit of a skeptical laugh. "Oh, right. Just don't go telling me I'm supposed to marry him or anything, okay?"

With an arm around her shoulders, he guided her to the large, rectangular dining table and took her to her seat, where he pulled her chair out and allowed her to sit. Sadiq, the romantic he is, reached under the table and gently grabbed her hand, tracing his thumb over the top of her hand. She gave no rejection to his action, and made no movement to say it was uncomfortable or awkward. Even though it'd been nearly three months since their return, he sometimes still felt as if she didn't approve of him being her husband. She never said otherwise, either, so that could be why. The others arranged themselves around the table, with Heracles next to the Belarusian princess, and his wife beside him, then Gupta and his youngest wife next to him. Her father (she considered him very worthy of the title. And he had personally asked her to call him such) stood with great excitement shining through his almond eyes, and with a voice that boomed throughout the entire room, he gave their guests welcome.

"It is good to see you all turn up! We're here today to celebrate the conquering of another kingdom! And we are also here to celebrate my newest daughter, who gave us great knowledge and advice on our expedition. Without her, we could have easily fallen into the perilous traps that had waited for us; we could have easily been tricked! No, this young woman had taught us-"

He was cut off abruptly by someone's rude comment of "We'd have been just fine." And all heads turned to find the source. Natalia kept her head forward, her eyes aloof, even though on the inside she was burning a silent flame of loathing to this man. Gupta, no other than the very man she'd slapped in the face, had spoken out against their father, in blatant disrespect to her.

"Gupta!" Roared the king, moving out of his chair.

"It's true, father! We don't need _some arrogant girl_ to help us in battle! She's weak! Look at her! She couldn't wield a blade if she even tried. She's not need and we don't need to praise her! This entire fiasco is ridiculous and childish. It's foolishness, father." Once he had finished his rant, Natalia stood from her seat. All eyes were on her.

She was so very much happy that this was happening.

"You, Gupta, may find me unnecessary. But," She walked towards him, who glared at her with an intensity that she had not seen since her childhood, "I will tell you now. I'm much a better soldier than you could dream to be." She held one of the knives from the dinner to his back, having concealed it silently into the ruffles of her dress. No one dared to move or speak, because at this rate, it seemed very possible the princess would break into a cold blooded murderer.

The doors slammed shut, and all the lights were turned to burn brightly.

"Natalia, you can't just run around pointing knives at people! Especially a prince!" Sadiq huffed, pacing back in forth in the room. Natalia lay lazily on the bed, filing her nails to horrible and beautifully sharp points. She did not look at him, but he knew she was listening form the way she bounced her foot up and down on the bed. It was some sort of nervous habit. "Do you know how much trouble you could get in? They could behead you, Nat!" He looked over at her, and heaved a heavy sigh. He sat on the bed, drawing her body close in his arms, taking in the scent of her hair. There were always these tender moments where he would hold her and she would be silent. He never knew what to expect from the girl.

"He's so mean."

"I know he is."

"Why? How on Earth could a man like that get the throne?" She grumbled, running her hands through her hair after giving out a grunt of irritation. She threw herself onto the bed, her hands on her pale face. Sadiq gave a chuckle before lying on his side next to her.

"He probably won't get the throne. He's not a blood prince, and he's only here because of me."

Natalia removed her hands from her face and looked at him in curiosity.

"He's only here because of you? What do you mean? "

"I mean to say… If I hadn't been adopted by father, and told him I needed Gupta to come along, Gupta would probably have become a decaying pile of bones many years ago."

"Would serve him right."

"Hayir! It's not like he's always been like that, dammit!" Sadiq groaned, before hearing a knock at their door. Natalia nearly jumped up, grumbly Belarusian insults at whoever was interrupting her conversation. When she opened the door, a young boy charged in, ignoring the princess and jumping on to the bed next to Sadiq. Natalia scowled, narrowing her eyes in a death glare at the little boy who had taken too much to her husband.

"Destann!" She growled, marching over to the boy. "Get out. It's late and_ you_ need to be in bed for school in the morn." The young boy groaned and griped, but begrudgingly crawled out of the room.

"I have no idea why you brought that boy back… Either way, Gupta wasn't always a pompous asshole?"

"I'd never really expect you to understand, and no, he wasn't. When we were kids, Gupta and I were really close. He was the silent type, and he didn't show much emotion, but he was a family man.

He was like my older brother. He always looked out for me, even if I was the bigger and stronger one. We took care of one another like brothers should. I'd never met someone more devoted to a sibling than he was, and all because one day, a very important day in my life, he saw me crying. I was sitting under the small bridge in my town, where the rain had finally come for the wet season. I hadn't eaten in days and the fire had died out, while my mother was lying on her side as I held her hand. I couldn't help but stay by her side, even though I knew it would have been wise to go and try to get medicine or maybe cloth from someone if I could. She was injured in a lashing, given to her by my father. She ran, and she took me with her. We had nowhere to run to and no one to save us. Her back was bleeding; the flesh wound was too deep to heal without bandages. I was only six… there wasn't anything I could do. Gupta appeared one day. She was dead by then, but I refused to leave her side until I died, too. If we were going to run together, we should die together. I had not once welcomed death with so much happiness than that day Gupta came to me. I was coughing; heaving up blood from my lungs. He saved me. That boy could steal anything! Why, he got me the medicine I needed, he got me food and new clothes, we even managed to sneak in a bath! But it really did end up changing for the worst. When I was eleven, the king rode through our town in his little carriage with all his guards decked out in gold and jewels. Gupta and I could have been set for life. And Gupta took the chance of being hung or stabbed for it. When the guard grabbed him by the throat, I threw a rock as hard as I could. He dropped Gupta and we both started to run. The guards chased us down, but the king stopped them from beheading us. He said he was impressed with our bravery and our skill, and asked me to come live with him. Naturally I refused, since I couldn't leave my big brother behind when he could have left me to die so many years ago. Father agreed to take us both, and we had finally had a life worthy of our talents. But over the years, it was obvious that father preferred me to Gupta, and Gupta grew angry, hateful and bitter. And now he is the way he is."

He turned to look at Natalia, who had crawled onto the bed behind him and began filing her nails once again. She had been watching him as he spoke, observing every range of emotion his eyes had gone through, watching his expression, noting the pitch in his voice at parts.

"My big brother is like that."

"You have a brother?"

She nodded her head, before grabbing the paper and the ink and quill. Quickly, and with much talent, she sketched her older brother, her parents and her sister. The brother was tall and heavy set, taller than Sadiq, and almost as pale as she. He had violet eyes similar to her own, but her's were much more blue. He had silvery blonde locks. The sister looked much more like the brother than Natalia did, and had… Larger "assets" than Natalia, too.

"My brother and sister were brought into the family by me. When I was little, I had escaped out from the palace. I found them near the gates, playing with a young Asian boy. When I made my way over, they gasped and squealed in excitement. They knew who I was. We played all day long with each other, kicking this bottle and junk. It was really fun, until the little Asian boy had to go home. The two looked really upset to see him go, and looked even more depressed when I mentioned that I needed to return home as well. I couldn't stand to see them so upset, especially brother, so I brought them home. Mother and father were disgusted. But I screamed and cried, until finally, they said "Natalia! We'll let them stay here! Just ask them if that's fine with them!"

My only condition was that big brother marry me when grew up. He gave his consent and brother and sister moved into their own rooms."

"So you're the only one out of your siblings who is eligible for the throne?"

"Yes. And brother was to be my king, until when the time came two years ago for our marriage, he refused my hand. I wasn't always as… Cruel and blunt as when I first came here, but I certainly grew cruel and bitter. I refused any proposal that came my way and all suitors were left at the front gate. Oh~" She gave a chuckle, the harmonic sound sending a chill up Sadiq's spine. He turned his head, staring at the genuinely demonic smirk that came across her lips.

"I really was so sad. I tried to break that little Asian's neck for taking my big brother away from me~!" She sang, a face splitting smile slapping across her face. She gave a low purr of pleasure from the memory, her shoulders shivering.

"He screamed. When he tried to run away, I snapped his leg after I stabbed it with the knife on the table. There was so,_ so much blood_!"

The laughter that escaped from her lips absolutely, completely and utterly disturbed Sadiq.

But it was just too hot for him to tear his eyes from.

"N-Natalia, I think we should go to sleep now, I me-"

"Why, dear_ husband?_ Am I frightening you?" She cooed, crawling across the covers of her bed, nearing his shaking body.

He wasn't sure if he should lie, if he should run, if he should kill her, so long as she kept her distance-

"Because you'd be perfectly sane to be terrified!"


	6. Invasion

_So I really don't know if anyone is following this or not, or actually reading all the chapters, but if you are I'd like to thank you for doing so. There's actually a lot in store for Sadiq and Natalia, it just hasn't quite gotten to it yet. It will soon though, I promise. I'm sorry it takes me so long to update at times, but I do have school and two other stories! Thanks for everything guys, and let's hope this is a decently long chapter. I don't feel like doing cliff hangers right now. If you noticed, I changed the rating to M because, thanks to the pushing of my best friend, he felt like there needed to be sexy times in here. I figured I could somehow add it in and use it with the plot so he would be happy. _

**STORY BEGIN**

Natalia wasn't in the mood for sleeping. Something inside her being snapped and she realized that pent up inside her emotions was a small flame of jealousy slowly burning into ash. The jealousy was for the Asian boy and her older brother. She found it being replaced with the flame of passion, the strange need to have Sadiq holding her, to drown in his being. She crawled across the bed, cupping his bold jaw in her hands and gently kissed his lips, feeling his breath hitch and quicken at her brave move. Before it fully registered in his mind what she was doing, she shoved her tongue against his, without asking but forcing entrance into his mouth. He elicited a moan, her cool flesh against his burning skin a new temptation burning in his groin. The girl used her strength to push him back against the bed, climbing to hover over him as she broke from their rough kiss to trail her lips over his neck, nibbling in the most tender of spots. His hands wrapped themselves around her waist, pressing their bodies even closer together than before. "Ja ciabie liubliu zanadta." She whispered, her eyes closing, the kisses growing softer and softer, until it turned into no more than murmurings of the foreign words before as she ran her hands over his arms, tears running down her cheeks. He repeated her words, his breath flitting across her lips, her neck, her cheek, her chest, her stomach, as if it could envelope all of her being into the pain-induced trance they found themselves falling deeper into. As their clothes were slowly torn from their sweating bodies, the kisses grew deeper, full of yearning and hunger for the other's taste and scent, their hands intertwining with one another's hair, holding onto each other's shoulders and hips. The Belarusian mumbled more of her native tongue as the Turk teased her breasts with his hands, rubbing them gently with his calloused hands. Little gasps whistled themselves through her lips, which soon became occupied with the task of mumbling more of her native language. Sadiq looked up at his wife and kissed down her abdomen, her body burning wherever he touched. The small girl looked up at him when he left her body, his mask still covering his face as it always did. She frowned, before reaching up and removing the white object from his eyes. Though he did not object this motion, his eyes body was rigid and still, preparing for her words.

"You have beautiful eyes." She whispered, a porcelain hand gently smoothing across his cheek. He smiled at her, his amber eyes shining brightly as he leaned over her, before he captured her lips in another kiss. She lay herself down, before grabbing his hair and pulling his ear to her lips.

"We're naked, we're married, and we've touched one another in ways that suggest sexual intentions. Act on them."

As if he'd been challenged, Sadiq gave her a smirk, before her face suddenly contorted in immense pain.

"What in the fuck _did you just do_?" She yelled, her nails digging fiercely into his back, until blood dripped from her fingertips. He only laughed at her, ignoring the crescent shaped cuts on his flesh. "I did what you told me to do! It didn't hurt_ that_ bad, did it?"

"You ass- I'm a virgin. You have to be gentle with me." She growled, looking like her usual angry and annoyed self. Sadiq chuckled at her anger, rubbing her sides as he pulled out of her, making her face twist in pain, until he rammed inside of her once again. Even though she yelled at him for being rough with her and told him to be gentle, he knew better. Natalia wasn't into softness and puppy-kisses. She was a person of pain, suffering, and a sadomasochist to the core. There was no way he was going to ease up and disappoint her. As he thrust, he heard small gasps and moans break from her lips, the young woman under him trying to say words that simply couldn't be formed. He could tell without a doubt she was a virgin, pure as the snow that she often rambled about missing until her heart ached. The longer they lay there, the faster and harder he pushed, at some point having to grab hold of her hips so she didn't scramble away. The moans and whisperings turned into hauntingly seductive howls and yelling of Belarusian insults, and as Sadiq felt Natalia reach her climax under him, he gained a dark approving smile that only made her shy away from looking at him. She turned her head to the side as she gripped his shoulders. Her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed as she shoved her hands against his chest, pushing him off of her. He looked up in surprise. "N-Natalia! What's wrong? Did I hurt you that badly?"

"Y… Your bitch of a brother opened the door..." She snarled, an animalistic growl escaping from the deepest recess of her chest. Sadi looked up, seeing the door opened only a smidgen before her rolled over onto the bed. "Fucking Christ… which one?" He put his mask back on, before nudging her gently with his foot. "Go get in the shower, babe. I gotta take care of this and you smell like sweat. Go on." Natalia hopped off the bed in a hurry, nearly running into the bathroom. She called for one of the maids to come, and they anointed the bath with perfumes and bubbles. She wrapped her own blue and silver robe around herself, slipping on a pair of undergarments. "I'll be back in a few minutes. Stay here until then, da?" She told the two maids, before walking out of the room.

It wasn't abnormal for the women to walk around in their robes so long as their husbands were with them, but Natalia was always more bold than the women who lived in the palace. She didn't feel the need to have Sadiq by her side at all times, and she thought she should be allowed to wear whatever she pleased whenever she pleased. She walked through the halls to the almost complete other side of the palace, before she knocked on the large ornate doors. A young woman opened them, one that had been in the room with Natalia when the princes took wives. The girl bowed. "Merhaba, is there something I could help you with?" She had long wavy brown locks, and they were held back in a braid that reached a little past her shoulders. Natalia nodded her head.

"Da, there is. Is your… _Man_ here? If so: I command you and all the other females exit so I may speak with him." The girl looked at her with saucer-wide eyes, before calling back into the room for the others. They all bowed to Natalia and exited the room, and Natalia stepped in. Gupta lifted his head to stare at her in confusion as he sat on the window sill. Natalia marched over with her hands balled into fists, before slapping the prince across the face.

"You damned bastard," she spat, jabbing a wickedly sharp nail onto his chest, "You could hear me in that room and I know it. Why in the world would you walk in on us? Do you really want to ruin your younger brother's days that badly? You're disgusting." As she ranted to him for his horrible misbehavior, Gupta watched emotionlessly and stared at her with cryptic emerald eyes. The boy picked up her hand and sat it next to her, before slapping her in the mouth. Her eyes widened in shock; it was not his place to discipline her for he was not her father. He grabbed her by the throat, ignoring her clawing hands, and shoved her back against the wall. "Since when does the little princess think she has the right to speak to me like that? I'm the prince!" He shouted, his grip on her pale neck tightening. Natalia shoved her knee into his stomach, and as he loosened his grip she grabbed his wrists and kicked a leg out from underneath him. He fell to the ground and rolled over; barely avoiding the kick she was going to deliver to the side of his head. She fell, losing balance from kicking with too much force and not hitting any object; she landed on her back, hitting her against the edge of the wooden bed. She jumped up almost immediately, and put her arms to protect herself from the punch Gupta threw. He hit her forearm, and in this small window of opportunity he had left her, she wrapped an arm around him, putting him into a headlock and used all her strength to keep him there. Gasping for air, Gupta stopped his struggling.

"What do you want? Just spit it out already!" He snarled, his hands grabbing restlessly at her arms around his throat. She tightened her lock, before sneering, "I want to know why you went from such a nice guy to a prick. Sadiq said you were a kind man, a family man who cared for his little brother more than anything! Did all this money really corrupt you _that much_? Everyone hates you now that you're like this! Do you love a single one of your wives? Do you care that your brother, your little brother _who led you_ here, wishes for the old you?" There was a slight desperation in her voice as she spoke, her grip on him tightening and then loosening so much he was trying to find a decent pattern for breathing. Gupta stopped fighting against her, realizing that not only was it useless, but that something in what she said was right.

He really had changed, and it didn't seem like it was for the better. Looking back, how had he not noticed the fact that Sadiq hardly even spoke to him? He sighed, and felt the girl's strangling lessen. He looked up at her, seeing that she was staring at the window with interest in her eyes. She let go of him, before standing up and walking over to it quietly. She threw it open and leaned outside, before shutting and locking it. He gave her a curious look as she turned around, her face cold and stony as she glanced at him. "What's wrong?" He asked, standing to tower over her. She bit her lip, before throwing the robe off and going into one of the closets. She grabbed an emerald green sundress and put it on, before braiding her hair and looking around.

"No wonder there's been almost no noise… Someone's at the edge of the city. Someone has come to invade, Gupta. Get your things; we need to get ready to fight." She exited the room swiftly, her long legs carrying her to her bedroom, where she looked around and threw the covers off of Sadiq. He groaned, half-dressed, and covered his eyes from the light. "Get dressed. There's an army at our doorstep and I need a knife or sword." Sadiq stared at her for only moments before he checked his window, and the flames that consumed the front part of the gates to the city screamed "enemy." He turned back towards the Belarusian who swiped a finger over the edge of his sword, leaving a trail of blood on it as the sharp blade slit open her finger tip. "This will do perfectly fine. Sadiq, grab a weapon. We're going to go to the throne room and stay there in case we're needed. Gupta!" She shouted, throwing a blade at him as well. The Egyptian boy caught it as he stared at them, too many thoughts racing through his noisy head. As one of the maids came in, he saw Natalia tell her something, for the girl scurried away in such a manner it made him wonder what the foreign princess wanted. As the maid returned, she had an older blue maid's dress, which Natalia slipped on, and then put the apron and bow on. She tied a black ribbon around her neck and a black bow in her hair, and black stockings and shoes. The girl turned to her fully dressed husband and her new brother-in-law, and gave a demonic smirk. She slipped a pack of knives in the garter holster on her right and left thighs.

"Come on. We're going to be protecting father."


	7. Home

_No matter what I do, being line inserts or whatever, it seems FanFiction doesn't like putting them there, so all new transitions will have a bold and underlined letter at the first paragraph._

The castle was full of frightened maids and servants who ran about the halls in a frenzy trying to find a way to escape or hide. The trio ran past them all, their destination being the throne room that housed the king and his only blood son, Heracles. The Belarusian pushed the terrified keepers out of their way, her protruding blades a constant threat to any who came too near them. When they entered the throne room, no bows were given to the king; Natalia approached him with a sort of leadership that it impressed her husband.

"Father, with the enemies at our gates, I'd like to make the suggestion that someone goes to evacuate all the workers and try to evacuate all citizens. They should be the main concern next to you and you, of course." Spoke the girl, earning a nod from the older man. He ran a hand through his hair and then looked to the eyes of his son. The Turk held his gaze, his amber eyes telling a warning that doubled as a threat, if the life of his wife were to be purposely endangered. Natalia, however, was confident with fighting now that she held her trademark weaponry in her grasp, as if it were a security that she could always be in touch with. The old man coughed a bit, before waving them off. "Do what you please. I trust you to handle yourselves well. Just reside in this place." As if, by some sort of miracle, a new energy shot through the air, a static-like slap crossing their bodies as they dispersed, Natalia following Sadiq. The couple was naturally going together, as if he would let her out of his sight! As they trotted around the castle, every time she passed a window, he heard Natalia make a note to herself about colors, which made him wonder about how her twisted mind worked, how the cogs turned as if nothing worked the right way.

"Okay, Natalia, I'm going to go check out the courtyard. I want you to stay here unless you hear something of concern. If they break through the castle gates, get to father." He pecked her forehead and threw her into his chest in the quickest hug she'd been given and ran from the room without another word, leaving his hellion of a wife alone. She looked around the green house at the top of the spire, noting all foreign floras that were growing and thriving in this room. There were books written Arabic, Greek, and English that she could hardly understand, so she left them on the mahogany table top. She leaned over it to peer outside the window, her blue eyes scanning the walls to the city for any sort of penetration of defense. The flames had grown to new heights, so high the smoke was black rather than gray, and she wondered if any of her citizens were fed to the flames brought on by yet another group of murderous foreign armies. This time, she had decided when she realized her position, she was not going to be taken captive; she was ready to kill anyone for this new home she'd grown fond of in the past six months. As she watched the fading blues and purples of the evening sky turn into darker hues of orange and red and black, her blue orbs caught sight of Sadiq down below the tower, where a group of army men stood. It hadn't registered in her mind at the time that their uniforms were not the same shade of green as this land's, and rather that they were grey and red. She hadn't even considered the idea of their meaning or given into fancy the thought that they were enemy soldiers, until one had swung with a blade at the Turkish prince. She felt it then- something inside her had instinctively snapped into place, and the cogs in her clockwork brain began to turn.

_Sadiq is in trouble._

_He's alone down there._

_He can't fend off all of those people on his own…_

**S** adiq knew he was in for trouble the moment he had entered the courtyard below the Natalia's tower. Some of the soldiers had made it past the city walls and into the palace gates without a soldier's knowledge. They had no blood on their faces or hands, so it as obvious there had been no fight against them.

_Well, it's a good thing Nat's tucked up and safe in the tower. Just a shame I might get cut a little here! If I can manage to get them all out, maybe she'd be safe- _

He was interrupted from his blind thinking as he felt the wind of a steel blade slap his face, his amber eyes widening in surprise that they had attacked already! As if by a wild call, a small throwing knife stuck itself in the soldier's throat, where blood slipped lazily down the handle before his body smacked the ground. Sadiq heard murmurs coming from the enemy soldiers, their native language sounding eerily familiar to him, until he heard his wife's accented voice call to him. "Sadiq! Are you alright?" She nearly screamed in Turkish, her panic and worry making his heart melt a little. He gave a weary smile to her, seeing s the soldiers stopped in their tracks to examine the dead body. "Natty!" He laughed, putting an arm around her before he felt her body stiffen. He looked at her curiously, seeing shock and surprise on her face, before he turned. A large man, near his size, with silvery blonde hair and almost purple eyes approached them. He held on his lips a creepy smile that sent shivers up and down Sadiq's pine. When the man spoke, Sadiq understood clearly the situation he was in.

"Sestra! I have found you!" He shouted happily, a childish innocence in his voice. Sadiq pushes Natalia away, commanding her to leave. As he spoke to the girl, he felt a cool, metal object rest against his neck, silencing him.

"Now I need to take my sestra home with me. You will be a good prince and give her to me, da? If not, I can kill you and take her. You may choose." He said, his smile never faltering.

"Vanya, leave him alone."

Sadiq looked at Natalia, who was dropping all her weapons to the ground as she spoke.

"I'll go home. Leave him alone and leave this place, and I will follow without complaint." Natalia walked to her brother, and her worried, alive face became void of emotion. _That's what she looked like when she first came here._ He thought, not daring to speak, in case she shattered from his voice.

"Seni seviyorum." She whispered into his ear, her voice seeming already an ocean away.


End file.
